Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-03-03
WHITE HOUSE PLANTS.
Mrs. Cleveland Strolling Among tbl Addition,
TO the Conservatory.

Mrs. Cleveland Str0lllng Among thg Addition,
TO the Conservatory.
Among the favorite pastimes of tbs
young wife of the president during Ne,
hours of leisure from the demands of hs,
social duties is visit to the conserys.
tories of the executive mansion, some
times alone and again with some calling
lady friend, to enjoy the selected beauties
OF the plant life of the luxurious and
more genial chimes of the warmer zones
Since their internal reconstruction and
renovation last summer, writes Wash.
iupton CORES pendent to the Philadelphia
Times, the Conservatives, under the in
telligent care of the experimenting for.
list, are among the most attractive fea.
lures OF the executive mansion. The
main conservatory, which is entered
from the promenade corridor and the
state dining room, is 165 feet long and
As feet wide, with sides and a lofty
double pitch roof of glass. At the fuf
ther end is wing 60 feet long by SO feet
wide. A promenade four feet wide and b
nearly 500 feet in length, paved with arti-
fetal stone, extends around the conservs. b
tories between the slate benches, upor
which rests. in pots the rarest plants rep
resenting almost every variety of size
form, and color OF foliage and flower, and
affords the convenience of delightful
and pleasing stroll among the charming
fora of the ATTITUDES near the equator
The arrangemon of the plants is with
reference to variety of foliage and colors
as the towering plants are just coming
into bloom the effect is very fine, being
suggestive of the voluptuous vegetation
of the tropics. The ladies of the execu.
tive household lind their visits particu-
| larly interesting at this time. The
collection is almost exclusively for dec
oratiye purposes. 1t embraces palms,
crotons, dracenas, enthuriums, azaleas
carnations, lilies, camellias, roses aids
long list of the other multituoinous var.
ieties of plants attractive on account Of
their foliage or valuable for cut flowers,
| The plants number about fifty Thousand.
In the collection ara many varieties Of
! value for their historic association OF
rarity. The finest specimen of the cyca
Tevoluta or sage palm, the largest in The
| United States, was brought from the
| West midas by a wealthy ship-owner il
wealthy Baltimore and pre-
sentedted to Gen. Washington, who
plhCeu IL III HIS Conservatory Nv MUM
Vernon. After his death il passed into
other hands, and when sold, about thirt!
years ago, was purchased for the execu
tive mansion. There are also fine speci-
mems of the birds nest fern of Australia.
one hundred varieties of theamaryllis,
many now in bloom, several OF the anthe-
rum grande, and the beautiful pkoine
cophorum, or seckslleranum variety Of .
palm.
The latest novelty is the enthuriun
ventricolum, a new plant reared from
seed found secreted among the roots of an
orchid brought from Brazil. This deyelo-
ped into large plant, with slender point
ed leaves three feet long. The flower is
large and of a creamy white hue, spotted
and tinted with maroon inside, and is as
fragrant as the magnolia grandifora. II /
buds at the base of each one OF the many
leaves which form sort of crown. There
is also a cyca from the sandwich islands
sent as present by Mrs. Comfy when her
husband was minister resident at the court
of that insuiar kingdom in the solitude
of the Pacific. The acacia bubexence ID .
bloom is also very beautiful. During t1s
drawing rooms of Mrs. Cleveland and tho .
levees of the president the conservatoris
are thrown open to the visiting public, and
are greatly enjoyed by the ladies. Ihs
most interesting features of the COLLECTION
are the orchids or air plants. Their dell
cate flowers and tints usually call foria
rapturous admiration. The collection o.
orchids is not the largest nor the finest
that rank being held by the collection o.
Mr.. Corning, of Albany, the value of whiel
is put down at $4,000. A greenhou's
has been devoted to the propagation ana
culture of these rare and curious rep
resentatives of the plant kingdom. Ever!
season therefore finds new acquisitions
the white house possessions IN tnS'
branch, and which some day will take
leading place
The florist of the executive mansion
mansion, who has brought the conserVs
tories up TO their present condition, J
Henry Phster, Swiss, who learned ~
art among flowers and plants uuds'
Huesserman, the superintendent OF inT
Conservatives and gardens of Rechoers
belonging to the palace of the opulel'
Banker Schulteness, of Enrich. He to
! lowed his art in Germany, France ana
England, and came TO the United state
| in 1872 and became florist on the esi&s
belonging to Jay Cooke, at Walnut hi!s
in the suburbs of Cincinnati. His ski
having attracted attention, he was piaee'
In charge of the conservatories of the e.
ecutive mansion in 1877, and since tns
time has made great improvements y
the buildings, collection of plants, ans
their arrangements. Out of the snnu~
appropriation of $1,000 the conseryatol
les have become r source of just priD'
7 to the occupants of the executive man
sion and the visiting public on Social az
caSion.
The superb floral displays at the say
dinners and levees are the growth OF ~.
/ conservatorles, fashioned into decora'l's
arrangements and forms by the hors.
/ 10 charge. The tables at the state dilhs-.
during the present seasons have Oe
masterpieces in floral decorative ART 81
have ELECTED the highest e1eomln,u II.
+ from those houored as guests on ths
/ high state occasions of official dining
During the hotter months of the sut-
Iner the large plants are taken from VI
+ conseryatories and placed on the lsr.
around the mansion, producing an en-
l.